09/30/2026
🧡 **TODAY IS A DAY FOR REFLECTION, REMEMBRANCE & **LISTENING 🧡
Our shop owner comes from an Indigenous background, and this day carries a deeply personal meaning for her and her family. Some of her family members and ancestors were directly affected by the horrific realities and atrocities experienced through the residential school system.
We wanted to share a little information about what National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day mean, and why this day is so important.
September 30th is a day when people across Canada come together to honour the children who were taken from their families and forced to attend residential schools, to recognize the Survivors and their experiences, and to remember those who never made it home.
Today, we remember the children who never made it home, honour Survivors, and hold space for the families and communities who continue to carry the impacts of the residential school system.
Orange Shirt Day is not simply about wearing orange. It is a symbol of remembrance and a reminder of the loss of identity, culture, family, language, and community experienced by so many Indigenous children.
🧡 WHY ORANGE SHIRTS?
The story behind Orange Shirt Day comes from Phyllis Webstad, a residential school Survivor from British Columbia.
In 1973, when Phyllis was just six years old, she arrived at the St. Joseph Mission Residential School wearing a bright orange shirt that her grandmother had given her. When she arrived at the school, her new shirt was taken away from her.
That orange shirt has since become a powerful symbol of the experiences of countless Indigenous children who were separated from their families, communities, cultures, and identities.
Today, the orange shirt represents remembrance, resilience, and a commitment to never forget.
🧡 WHY SEPTEMBER 30TH?
September 30th was chosen because it falls around the time of year when Indigenous children were traditionally taken from their families and communities and sent to residential schools.
It is a day to pause, reflect, listen, learn, and have meaningful conversations about the history of residential schools and the lasting impacts they continue to have on Indigenous people, families, and communities.
Truth and Reconciliation is not about simply remembering one day a year. It is about acknowledging the truth, listening to Survivors, honouring those who were lost, and continuing to learn how we can move forward with understanding and respect.
🧡 Every Child Matters.
🧡 Every Survivor Matters.
🧡 We remember. We listen. We learn.
Miigwech. 🧡
